Hunters will still be able to import slain lions, rhinos, elephants and even polar bears under a new law’s perverse “pay-to-slay” clause. A ban outlawing the importing of the sick souvenirs was unveiled in the Queen’s Speech last Tuesday: Banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals abroad and ending the advertising for sale […]
Tag: rhinos
South African dehorning initiative aims for ‘zero poached’ white rhinos
The team works quickly. As soon as a rhino is safely sedated, they motor up a chainsaw and begin shearing off the animal’s signature horns. White flakes of keratin fly through the air like snow, littering the ground. When they power the chainsaw off, only stubs are left where the rhino’s horns used to be. […]
Turning the Spotlight on Asia’s Smallest Feline—the Elusive Rusty-Spotted Cat!
Weighing a mere 2 pounds (almost 300 times smaller than a tiger)—the Rusty-spotted cat is one of the smallest cat species in the world. However, what they lack in size, they make up for in being fierce hunters! The Rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is endemic to the dry deciduous forests, scrubs, and grasslands of India, […]
Sumatran rhinos show low inbreeding — but when it happens, collapse is quick
The outlook is bleak for Sumatran rhinos. Decades of poaching and habitat loss have precipitated a steep population decline. Once found across Southeast Asia, from the Himalayan foothills to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, the critically endangered species, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, is now only found in Indonesia. Conservationists estimate that fewer than 100 individuals survive […]
The Last Giraffes on Earth
The giraffe is nearly down. Two men have stretched a thick black rope in front of the animal, to trip her up. The giraffe hits the rope, and the plan seems to be working until she gains a second wind and breaks into a fresh run. Her body sways backward and forward like a rocking […]
Meet ‘the girls’: the last two northern white rhinos on Earth – in pictures
Najin and Fatu are the only two rhinos of their species in existence. Jack Davison visited Ol Pejeta in Kenya to document a story that transcends tragedy. This article was first published by The Guardian on 10 February 2021. Lead Image: Here come the girls … Najin and Fatu. Photograph: Jack Davison. What you can […]
Helicopter airlifts orphaned baby rhinos found next to their slaughtered mothers
An emergency helicopter service is rescuing rhinos that get injured or orphaned by heartless poachers. Since its launch in 2018, Rhino 911 has been called out hundreds of times. Baby rhinos airlifted to safety included one-month-old Lottie, found desperately trying to suckle from her slaughtered mum. Pilot and co-founder of the South African charity, Nico Jacobs, said: […]
Deforestation spurred by road project creeps closer to Sumatra wildlife haven
JAKARTA — An upgrade to a road that cuts through one of Southeast Asia’s last great swaths of intact rainforest is driving deeper encroachment by humans into blocks of forest that may spread into a national park. The road runs 36 kilometers (22 miles) between the districts of Karo and Langkat in Indonesia’s North Sumatra […]